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Too soon to hit the beach. Too late to go ice skating. The perfect time to take an adventure.

When you’re planning a trip to New York City in the Spring, rest assured that there’s no shortage of things to do that will make people from your hometown jealous. Unconventional fun is to be expected here! Check out some of our favorite springtime activities in the city that never sleeps:

Take the Tramway to Roosevelt Island

Roosevelt Island is one of those places that most New Yorkers don’t go to unless they have a reason to. What most don’t know is that this small island nestled between Manhattan and Queens on the East River hosts a wide array of places to explore: the ruins of an old smallpox hospital, a beautifully designed park dedicated to FDR, and a Tramway journey that’ll give you a beautiful view of the city skyline. For more info, click here.

Step Through Gulliver’s Gate

Located on 44th near Times Square, Gulliver’s Gate isn’t a bad way to get some perspective on life. See over 50,000 sq ft of mini cities and locations from real places around the world (Abbey road, the Taj Mahal, and Machu Picchu to name a few). You can also get a 3-D printed version of yourself. For more info, click here.

Star Gaze with an Expert

From now until the beginning of Summer, Columbia Astronomy Public Outreach hosts biweekly stargazing sessions with top experts from the Astronomy Department at Columbia University. If the weather is nice, after a short lecture and a Q+A with the session leaders, they’ll take you to the roof to stargaze with advanced telescopes for the evening. And it’s free! For more info, click here.

Experience the 2019 World’s Fare

Step out of your culinary comfort zone. On May 18 and 19, Citi Field is hosting a throwback to the legendary World’s Fair of 1964 by showcasing diverse foods from around the world. Booths will feature artisans and culinary masters from dozens of different countries, live music will be playing throughout the whole day, and there will be no shortage of unbelievable foods to try. For more info, click here.

Join a Pillow Fight at Washington Sq
Park

You read that right. Taking place on April 6, from 3:00pm – 5:00pm in Washington Square Park. The only rule for this is that your pillow can’t have feathers in it and it has to be soft. You’re going to want to film this. For more info, click here.

See the Central Park Conservatory Garden

This formal garden, delicately maintained by the Central Park Conservatory for year-round use, is one of the gems of New York’s Central Park. Go through the historic Vanderbilt gate between 104th and 105th, take in the trimmed hedges and crabapple trees, and see one of the city’s best kept secrets. For more info, click here.

Take Home a Souvenir from the Affordable
Art Fair

From March 28 – 31, the Metropolitan Pavilion is hosting the Affordable Art Fair. This is the perfect opportunity to find a piece of art to take home (that you don’t have to buy off the street). Although tickets range between $10 and $70, this culturally diverse event is a great chance to see a deeper, more creative side of New York City and the beautiful people that congregate here. For more info, click here.

With a diverse range of festive
activities for travelers, New York City is an exciting place to experience the
holidays. NYC has an extraordinary selection of holiday attractions to offer
for visitors from around the world. From Rockefeller Tree Lighting to New
Year’s Eve line-up of events at Times Square, Night Hotel highlights
quintessential NYC holiday activities and destinations during your visit.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
Lighting

Since 1933, the Rockefeller Center
Christmas Tree lighting has become a time-honored tradition in New York City.
The annual celebration attracts thousands of people to Rockefeller Center to
witness the tree lighting ceremony shortly after Thanksgiving. With an
exuberant line-up of live performances leading up to the lighting of the
tremendous tree, at minimum 75 feet tall, this event bring together New
Yorker’s and worldwide visitors to launch the holiday season.

New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday
Train Show

The delightful Holiday Train Show at
the Bronx Botanical Garden showcases intricate model trains speeding through a
charming environment made of 175 small-scale iconic buildings and landmarks.
The fascinating miniature structures include the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of
Liberty and Grand Central Station, and constructed from natural material such
as bark and leaves with One World Trade Center recently added to the
collection.

Saks Fifth Avenue Holiday Windows

Magical holiday displays in the windows
at Saks Fifth Avenue have long been a tradition in midtown. The Saks team
behind the holiday windows work at night for six weeks to create the
installations unveiled to the public. Visitors from all over line the sidewalks
to view the elaborate and festive scenes depicted at the flagship store on
Fifth Avenue.

The Bryant Park Winter Village

Every winter, the city park transforms
into The Bank of America Winter Village with joyful decorations, 17,000 square
foot ice-skating rink, holiday shops, and food vendors along with caroling by
New York City Opera, concerts, Santa, scavenger hunts, and Tasting Tuesday’s
makes it a must-see winter destination in NYC.

New York City Ballet: George
Balanchine’s The Nutcracker

George Balanchine’s wonderful
choreography, Tchaikovsky’s fantastic music, and the story of a young girl’s
journey on Christmas Eve, makes this a special performance to catch during the
holidays. This enchanting ballet debuted in 1954 by Balanchine, who founded the
New York City Ballet. The production has since become an annual holiday
tradition for New Yorkers.

New Year’s Eve in Times Square

An estimated one million locals and
visitors gather in Times Square on December 31st every year to
celebrate this world-renowned event. The historical ball “dropping” tradition
began in 1907 with an iron and wooden ball adorned with 100 light bulbs, and
currently, the permanent sparkling Big Ball is 12 feet in diameter with over
32,000 LED lights. With a series of dazzling performers, handouts, and dynamic
energy throughout the night, New Year’s Eve in Times Square is seen by over a
billion people around the world.